Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-09-29

Turner because he had not built his part
of the home-lot fence as high as the
| part which was his own building.
you'd ought to ha' made it horse-high
an bull strong" he shouted +; for being
deaf himself he roared at everybody else.
q Tain't nuther now; and I'll have it so eff
there's mite o. law in Dalton.
Well, law me; do screamed Enoch.
"I shan't make it no higher'n tits; fust
place the amt no boss nor no bull KEEP
in your lot nor mine, save an except my
old gray mare, an she couldn't no more
jump over punkin than she could over
the moon; second place, haven't got no
money to buy rails, nor no wood-lot to
chop 'em ont Of, and that's the send
ont"
| 'Not by long sight faint" retorted
| 'Bijah. "That are fence amt what it had
ought to be nohow; them rails is old
anyway; and if should want to turn my
black bull in there, they'd go down like
cobweb, supposin' he got a mind to
charge into 'em."
Il guess you won't never turn him
into your own mowin' lot!'' sneered Enoch
walking off.
| He knew very we'll that 'Bijah Per
sons's black bull had to be kept in barn
yard with high and strong plank fence,
and half the time chained to post by
his nose ring, for twice 'Bljah hao been
made to pay damages for the savage
freaks of the creature.
| But Enoch did not know that Ri an
had taken couple of young colts for
debt, and expected another year to turn
his moving lot into a pasture. So the
men each went home, cross as possible
about few rods of fence, and Tessy,
comforted and smiling, never thought
that her precious "real' dolly could be
endangered by anything. Mrs. Persons
and Mrs. Turner were good friends, as
neighbors should be, but they did not
visit each other often. 'Bijah did not
believe in women 'goin' a gaddin'," as he
said; and with all the work of her dairy,
her house, and her garden to do, she had
little time to go abroad; and 1T was just
SO with Mrs. Turner, for though she only
had one COW and a dozen hens, she had
Tessy to make and mend for, to watch
and wait on, and rarely even went to the
i sewing circle of the church on that &C
count. But shortly after May set in, Mrs.
Turner found that the money for the doll
amounted to a dollar and half; surely
| enough to buy beautiful baby for her
| pet; and one afternoon, when Enoch had
taken Tessy into The lot where he was
! planting corn, the mother put on her
Sunday gown and went over to the sew
ing circle, that met that afternoon at
Mrs. Persons house. While they were
rolling the quilt she heard Mrs. Persons
say: Yes. he heered to-day that his
uncle was dead; down to Hartford; and
he calolates TO GO to the funeral to-morrer,
bein' one of the heirs. We're agoin' to
ride over, and come back next day."
Here was Mrs. Turner's chance; she
slipped away from the quilters, ran
home as fast as she could, took the little
hoard for the doll out of the ola blue
stocking foot in her bureau drawer, and,
holding it fast in her hand, went back to
her neighbours.
Say, Mis- Persons" she whispered
breethlessly, as she went in by the kitchen
door where she knew Mrs. Persons had
to be at that hour to strain the new milk
"a duty not 10 be put off even for a sew
ing circle.
Il heered you say You was goin' to
Hartford tomorrow; would you do a
errand for me?"
"Certin! certin!'' answered the good
woman.
"WelI, I've saved an saved all the cents
I've got for the eggs [ sold this two year
= mean the eggs TeSsy's white hen has
laid, an | want, ever so, TO buy her real
doll-b baby with it. Here's dollar an fifty
cents, Iguess twill buy good oae; and
if you'd take it on We to buy it I should
be proper glad"
''Well | guess I will, and pleased so to
do. What kind do you want?"
ooh! | don't know; I'll trust your
Judgment; somthin' kind of pretty and
smilin' like, so It Tessy IL take to
it."
So Mrs. Persons put the money into her
bead purse, and when Mrs. Turner I'M
dressed Tessy she could not help telling
her that the real dolly would come to NOR
row night.
How Tessy laughed and jumped about,
and dimpled with JOY. She could hardly
go to sleep, though her mother sang all
the hymns she knew, even to funeral to
soothe her.
/ Next day after the funeral was over,
Bijah Persons had learned, TO his great
disgust, that his Uncle Eben had left all
his money to his third wife, of whose ex-
istence 'Bijah was ignorant till that day,
since she had only married old 'Bijah
Reed two months before. Mrs. Persons
asked him if she had time to go down
Main street to Mr.. Hosmer's store to do
an arrand.
Slime enoughm he snapped. " The
boss has got to hev his feed an breath
in spell; an We got to go to the South
bridge an trade with Sheppard for them
sheep SKINS.
Mrs Persons hoped her husband would
let her do ner errand while he went on to
do his; but she hoped in vain; he was
not the man TO let his wife spend cent
without his knowledge and approval!
Great was his disgust when she asked for
dolls, and the gentle prim little woman
behind the counter took from the case a
dozsn smiling, stiff-bodied puppets and
laid them out for inspection.
What in tarnation be you @ pricin'
them things for?" growlsd 'Bijah. His
wife shook in her shoes.
"Oh, I'm doing an errand for Miss
Turner. She wants a Golly for her
girl"
'Bljah shut his mouth in eminous ST.
lence.
!, "How much is that ones" t-emulous-
ly asked Mrs Persons, pointing to a